Hakeem Olajuwon Says ‘85% Chance’ Dwight Howard Signs With the Houston Rockets

The Houston Rockets came away from their meeting with Dwight Howard feeling confident about their chances to ink the free agent superstar center. Hakeem Olajuwon, one of the Rockets legends on hand for the presentation, is feeling very optimistic about Howard jumping ship to Houston. Per ThePostGame: “It’s an 85 percent chance he ends up in Houston,’ Olajuwon said on Wednesday. ‘You never know, but after that meeting we had, I feel very comfortable that we have the best chance to get him.’ […] Olajuwon said he got the sense Howard liked what the Rockets were selling. ‘We’re going to come to you,’ Olajuwon said. ‘You have James Harden there. You have the backcourt. You’re going to get the ball. The coach is there knowing we need your presence in the middle. So we were speaking his language. It’s what he wanted. So he was so excited.’ The Rockets might be considered the frontrunner for Howard, who has also met with Dallas, Atlanta, Golden State and the Lakers, but that means nothing if he ultimately opts to sign elsewhere. ‘If you truly want to win a championship, this is the right team,’ Olajuwon said. ‘And I think he feels the sincerity that this is a true opportunity to make something special.’ Regardless of team, Howard will have to cope with the considerable scrutiny that comes with being a franchise center. ‘He needs to be comfortable,’ Olajuwon said. ‘There’s a lot of expectations because his position is the primary position for any team. It’s the foundation of any team. So he needs to accept that responsibility. When you play with a team that looks for you to establish yourself, before they can establish a team, that makes him more comfortable, knowing his role is so valuable.'”